"Finally gotten into "Vikings"" Topic

I originally bailed out after two or three episodes of Season 1 but when I decided to go with Amazon Prime and found Series 1 -3 on it I decided to give it another go.

I skipped the episodes I'd already seen and found it gradually gets into its stride and Season 2 really moves.

OK, its the Dark Ages meets GoT to some extent but as no one actually knows if Ragnar Lothbrok really existed I'm prepared to cut it some slack on the history front.

By and large what happens seems to be reasonably factual, or at worst a truncation of events, which in a mini series is almost to be expected as they don't have the cash to replace the cast members to show them getting older.

Some of the military bits are pitched at public consumption with the various Viking bands gradual adoption of team colours on their shields so you can tell who's who in the fights and the three Saxon kingdoms they come into contact with, have their soldiers in readily identifiable "uniforms" but the fights are well done.

The heroes are heroic, the baddies are bad and the shield maidens are not to be messed with. Double, double crosses abound and the gore is gory!

Unless you are a true follower of 9th Century Northern European history, given to freaking at the details and I've seen a lot worse (no horned helmets here!) its all good escapist fun.

The only thing I've baulked at has been geographic when in Season 3 the Vikings, working as allies of Wessex, sail "North" up stream into Mercia, which left me wondering quite how they managed it given they had landed on the South coast of England and would be mightily short of river but never mind!

As I'm letting the names of all the Saxon hierarchy and who ruled what bit and when, wash over me like the tide, I'll let that one go too.

I've seen almost to the end of season 2 I think, me and the fiance is about to rewatch the series(she has only watched a few episodes)

I did like the use of shield wall(and slipping enemies though it to have them killed of by 2nd and 3rd rank) As far as I know this was a tactic done.

But the "costumes" and armor is kinda hm, shall we say borderline pure fantacy.

Seen Series 1 and thought it was OK. Reminded me a bit of Spartacus: Blood and Sand

Except that half of vikings isn't in slow motion..

With out the slow mo, one episode of spartacus would be about 20 minutes long.

I am glad you discovered this hidden gem.

I really liked this series. I have not got to Season 3 yet because HULU has not uploaded them yet. But, if they are on Amazon Prime then I guess I can start watching!

Go to Walmart on Black Friday and pick up a whole season for $10. USD

I enjoy the series. There is an historian in the UK
who has written a monograph on Ragnar Lothbrok.

She is sure he was an historical personality, survived
by his sons.

My wife is a fan. I don't find any of the characters particularly sympathetic, so it pleases me when they kill each other.

Overall it is a good series and yes the series seems to be combining two possible historical Rangars into one persona. The series also sets up things that are historical in that there was a Bjorn Ironsides and an Ivar the Boneless both sons of "Ragnar" oh and points if you know who Rollo is? Although if you have watched season three that cat is out of the bag.

The fights are well done and the tactics also are as authentic as you are going to get for a TV series. Third season seemed to have the funds to really put on a show especially with all siege of Paris. Arms and shields are well done with the exception noted above that in order for the audience to know who is fighting for whom that the various forces have common devices which of course wold not be the case. The body armor for the Vikings is perhaps the most glaring thing I find and the fact not one single Viking ever wears a nasal helm. But as stated at least there are not any winged or horned Helms. The Saxon forces are decked out in period nasal helms and seem to have more period armor with the glaring exception of one of the Saxon kingdoms having late Renaissance helms. Why? Who knows. However the story telling is interesting enough and there is enough real history and good drama to keep the show entertaining and engaging for me. And I love the intro song by Fever Ray "If I had a heart." Here is the original music video before it was picked up for the series.

YouTube link

It is a pretty bazaar vid.

Kallman, holy that was indeed a weird video. No idea what it meant, but I liked it very much! (Wife and I enjoy the show too).
-/
Tim

Just out of interest what language are the actors speaking when they talk to each other in "Viking"?

I like how the show does the parts where the Saxons are speaking in Anglo-Saxon and the Vikings are speaking in "Scandinavian" but I wondered if it was modern Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, or whatever, they are using.

My non English language skills don't run north of Belgium!

It would appear some of the answers to my question are here:

link

Old Norse – apparently!

Old norse probably butcherd in pronunciation. I do not recognise it. Sounds like gibberish. I don't speak norse. But I think I would recognise it if they had pronounced it propper.

Sounds mostly like mumbling.

Yes I wondered what you might think! :o)

The Old English sounds reasonable to me but I would imagine anyone who had taken a degree in Anglo Saxon history or literature wouldn't be so impressed.

It takes a long time to get acceptable pronunciation in any modern language let alone the ones that aren't used any more!

On the other hand old norse and modern English got a few similarities that modern norwegian doesn't.

Like the th sound lots if it in English and norse, not any of it in norwegian.

Thats why when all school children start to learn English in norway, they almost all pronounce three as tree.

But then lots of irish also pronounce three as tree

On the other hand old norse and modern English got a few similarities that modern norwegian doesn't.

Well that's down to the fact we had a lot of "Old Norse" speaking "guests" for a while in the 9th/10th Century! :o)

Modern English is based on Old Norse, Old English (Saxon), Latin and Norman French plus a load of borrowed words from other languages down the centuries. It's proved to be very adaptable!

Me and the fiance has started to watch it again.

I had forgotten just how bad the costumes are. Not so mych vikings more mad max.

Lots of useless leather garb, bland dark colors…

My library has not gotten season 2 yet,so I'm still waiting.

Hov yu haird da jauk about da Oirish lumberjacks? Well, dair wuz dese tree fellers…

New season starts tonight. Don't miss it!

Will watch the next season, it's the only show that I route for the main cast to be killed.